Coming Events
Nebraska Weather and Planting Season
I’m guessing that we’ll see a lot of progress with planting this week to ten days! Where are we at now? I could only guess, some people have not started, some are nearly complete with corn and everywhere in-between! Ray and Ron Makovicka and I were able to get the York County Corn Grower Comparison Plot planted on the Dwight and Gwen Johnson farm located North of 34 between York and Bradshaw. It includes11 companies with 22 variety plus reps! Thanks Ray and Ron for taking the time to get the plot planted!
As I had reported earlier this spring, I installed some Watermark sensors into dryland (rainfed) corn and soybean fields on the Jerry Stahr farm on the East edge of York. Earlier they were reading about between just under or a little over an inch short of filling the top three foot profile. I read them on Monday morning and the corn field was filled while the soybean field was .33†short, so compared to other parts of the state, we are in great shape moisture wise!
I know that this is a busy time of year, but we’re still looking for producers that would be interested in conducting some on-farm research trials in the areas of plant populations, nitrogen management as well as irrigation management. The protocols are all posted at the following website: http://ardc.unl.edu/onfarmresearch.shtml. For more information, contact Keith Glewen, UNL Extension Educator, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, Nebraska 68033, at 402-624-8030 or by email at kglewen1@unl.edu or me at 402-326-8185 or email at gzoubek1@unl.edu.
Speaking of On-Farm Research results, we’ve conducted both planting rate and dates studies for soybeans the past several years! I know, we’re just getting a good start with corn planting, but now is the time to be thinking about getting those soybeans planted! Last spring Jim Specht and Jenny Rees prepared an excellent summary our on-farm research and it’s archived on the CropWatch website! The article features some of the work that we’ve conducted in the Quad County area. Our results show that the past three years we’ve seen a 1 to 10 bushel increase in yields for the earlier planted beans. We want to harvest as much of the sun’s energy, and by planting earlier that’s what we are doing. As Jim suggests, we want the crop green to the eye by the 4th of July!
If you have the time, check out the complete article. Hopefully conditions will change so that producers can get out and get those crops planted the next few weeks! Go to CropWatch website at: http://cropwatch.unl.edu and click on the 2011 archives and the April 22nd edition. The direct link is: http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/cropwatch/archive?articleID=4524546.
Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network (NAWMN)
Hopefully we won’t have to irrigate for a while, but now is the time to start making plans for this irrigation season. If you have not been involved with the NAWMN, we would look forward to working with you in the future! The NAWMN which got it’s start in 2005 with only a few producers in the Uppper Big Blue NRD has now grown to over 700 producers across the state and I’m sure we’ll add another 100 or 200 more this season! A couple of the tools we are using are ETgages® or Atmometers which mimic crop evapotranspiration or ET and Watermark soil matrix sensors which measure soil matric potential or the energy required to remove water from the soil.
These two tools have really worked well and have made irrigation management much easier than those gut feelings. The more information you have the better decisions you can make!
I’m hoping to install my ET gages® right after the first of May! I don’t want to put them out to soon freezing is not good for the ceramic tops! It’s also important to replace the #54 alfalfa canvas covers and wafers on a regular basis, so I that at the start of each season.
Then as soon as the crops start to emerge, it will be time to install Watermark or other sensors to monitor soil the water status! It’s important to soak and dry the sensors a couple of times before installing them each year. They should read 5-10 or less when completely wet. For more information or installation tips, check out this web site: http://water.unl.edu/web/cropswater/nawmdn. At this site you can check out the video’s and publications.
While at the site, also check out the on-line ETgage site, we’ve added several automatic weather stations blue balloons that provide the daily reference as well as past week readings. So if the ETgage site that you are monitoring is not updated regularly, you will still have access to current weather station data. FYI, we are working with a computer programmer to change the balloons to grey if that location has not been updated recently so that you don’t waste your time checking that site. ALSO, we’re working on an App for your iPAD or smart phone to tell you how much water you’ve used and have available to your crop but inputing your sensor reads and soil type! WATCH for more detail on this by early June!
If you have a new ETgage, I hope you’ll consider posting your data to the website so that other producers can access the info!
Participants the past few years have reported saving 2 inches of water/acre for both corn and soybeans with little or no effect on yields. Two inches represents a water savings of about 7 million gallons of water for a typical 130 acre center pivot. With today’s fuel prices these energy savings would be significant!
These tools are not costly and I believe the NRD may still have some cost share funds available. Contact Dan or Rod at 402-362-6601.   Contacts in other parts of the state can be found at: http://water.unl.edu/web/cropswater/contact. Let me know if you have any question gzoubek1@unl.edu or 402-362-5508, we’d be glad to work with you this season.
One of our on farm research protocols for this year is comparing your normal practice to 75% and documenting yield results as well as fuel costs!
Fair Volunteers Needed
We’re nearly finished updating the 2012Fairbook which will be printed and posted to our website soon! We picked up several new volunteers, but we’re always looking for additional volunteers, so if you have some time and would like to get involved with the 2012 York County Fair, give me a call at 402-362-5508 or email me at gzoubek1@unl.edu. I look forward to hearing back from you!
